5 things you need to know about vodka
1. In order to fully appreciate vodka, it helps to know this booze’s roots. Vodka has been distilled in Russia, Poland, and Czechoslovakia since the 1100s, but is now produced all over the world. While it can be made from any fermentable matter, vodka is distilled mostly from potatoes and grains and is often filtered (usually up to eight times) through charcoal, sand, peat, lava rock, limestone, or cloth to remove most traces of aroma and flavour. 2. The only additive vodka can legally contain is water. Distillers pride themselves on what type of water they use, whether it be iceberg, spring, filtered, or distilled. Adding water brings vodka, which is almost 200 proof when it comes out of the still, down to an acceptable 80 to 100 proof. The water source adds its own minerality and nuance to the vodka, which is more evident than in other types of spirits because it’s not aged in oak that would overpower those notes. For example, Reyka...